Selling dried sourdough starter in Michigan
What Michigan official sources actually say about selling dried sourdough starter under cottage food law — dry mix / non-tcs list supports — confirm. Last verified 2026-10-15.
If you keep a jar going in Michigan, selling dried sourdough starter is a different cottage-food question than selling bread. The product is flour and water that you fermented, then dried. Official pages almost never use the words “dried starter.” This post only repeats what the current statute, agency page, or extension guide actually says — and where that source is silent.
Dried starter is not automatically a baked good
A loaf is baked. Dried starter is a dry culture. Some states publish a closed allowed-foods list (baked goods, jams, dried herbs). Some allow non-TCS / non-potentially-hazardous foods as a class. A few name baking mixes, dry mixtures, or — in Kansas — dehydrated sourdough starter. We do not stretch a baked-goods line into a dry-culture line unless a source supports that read.
The quick facts
- Law
- Michigan Compiled Laws §289.4102 - Cottage Food Operation; Exemption from Licensing and Evaluation Provisions; Requirements (Michigan Food Law, Act 92 of 2000)
- Statute
- MCL §289.4102
- Agency
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
- Dried-starter read
- Dry mix / non-TCS list supports — confirm
- Annual sales cap
- $50,000 annual (statute row)
- Registration / permit
- Registration required (statute row): No.
- Kitchen inspection
- Kitchen inspection (statute row): No.
- Food-handler training
- Food-handler training (statute row): No.
- Last verified
- 2026-10-15
Where in-state sales usually go
Sales cap, registration, allowed foods, and every county — free on Crosodo.
From the Crosodo statute row: Sales through retail stores, restaurants, or wholesale are prohibited. Online sales, mail order, and third-party delivery platform sales (e.g., DoorDash) are allowed in-state only, but require the producer to offer the customer an opportunity to directly interact (face-to-face or virtually) before purchase. A separate $75,000 cap applies if all products are priced at $250 or more per item. Honey and maple syrup have a separate exemption permitting indirect retail sales up to $15,000/year.
County zoning, market manager rules, and home-occupation permits still apply on top of the state food rule. Start with the Michigan state guide and your county page.
Labeling
Labels must include: business name and address (or name, phone, and registration number); product name; ingredients in descending order by weight; net weight or volume; allergen information per federal requirements; nutritional information if any claim is made; and the statement in at least 11-point font: 'Made in a home kitchen that has not been inspected by the Michigan department of agriculture and rural development.' An optional registration number (from MSU Product Center, one-time fee up to $50) may replace the home address.
Walk the fields in the Michigan cottage food labeling guide. Do not copy another state's disclaimer.
Interstate / shipping across state lines
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Cottage-food exemptions are state instruments. They do not replace federal rules that apply when food enters interstate commerce. If you want to ship out of state, ask the state manufactured-food program and confirm FDA facility registration for your situation. We do not invent a license name or a fee here.
Official sources
Every number and product claim on this page is tied to a source opened on 2026-10-15, plus the Crosodo statute row and — where we have them — the regulations library notes for Maryland, Colorado, and Virginia.
- MDARD cottage foods — last verified 2026-10-15
- MCL §289.4102
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
- Michigan extension
- Michigan cottage food state guide
- Selling cottage food in Michigan
- Michigan labeling guide
- All 50 states — dried starter hub
Michigan dried starter FAQ
Can I sell dried sourdough starter in Michigan?
MCL 289.4102 cottage-food operations may sell non-potentially hazardous foods. MDARD and the Crosodo statute row include dry goods / dry baking mixes among examples. Dried starter is not named. Confirm with MDARD. Caps: $50,000 gross, or $75,000 if every item is priced $250 or more — those figures come from the statute row, not from a starter-specific rule.
What is the Michigan cottage-food sales cap?
$50,000 annual (statute row)
Can I ship dried sourdough starter out of Michigan under cottage food law?
Cottage-food / homemade-food exemptions are in-state instruments. They do not, by themselves, authorize interstate commerce. Confirm manufactured-food licensing with the state agency and FDA facility registration for your facts. We do not invent a permit name or a fee.
Crosodo Journal entries are recipe, craft, and cottage-food notes for home bakers. Recipes assume an active starter and basic equipment. Cottage food sales are governed by your state's law — start with the free state directory, check a product with Can I sell this?, or grab a label template. Not legal advice.
